VoIP... The Truth And Myth

Don't be fooled into thinking that VoIP is a new kid on the block. The Telecommunications industry has known about... and been using... VoIP technology of some kind for awhile. There's always been talk concerning VoIP and how to capitalize on this Juicy market to come. Early on, only Cisco was really able to make it work properly. But it was just a matter of time before convergence would emerge and make more "dreams" possible.

Today businesses are rushing into this market in mass for different reasons. From the price savings to the convergence effect of using a single network. But there is still "truth and myth" about VoIP as a business application you need to be smart about when using your own IP PBX or IP-Phone. [Note: for the purposes of this discussion soft phone such as Skype is not addressed.]

Myth...

Being able to be reach anyone and call from anywhere.

This is almost true but you need optimal conditions in order to do this. The following problems will explain why many times challenges still exist when trying to place a VoIP call.

Let's imagine you have an IP phone connected to your IP PBX or have your own VoIP line and you are willing to use it from a public network, in a conference room, or in the hotel you are staying in. The following problems might appear.

1. The ADSL line is too slow... This means you might be able to place the call but lags and echoes will appear.

2. There is no Quality of service... Without getting into details, if someone is downloading or uploading a heavy document, you will lose quality because the IP is not prioritized.

3. The NAT (telecom Network) is blocking all VoIP calls... This can be caused by multiple problems from Port translation to firewalling.

4. Your are using the Wi-Fi... Most of the time hotspots are just made for surfing on the Net. Many problems could appear such as lags etc. Hotspots aren't made for using your VoIP phone... yet.

The Truth...

To be honest, the truth about IP phone is that it will work fine mainly when you are using it on a clean network using "Quality Of Service"... and in a well known IP enabled environment. To make it work fine you need:

1. An XDSL pro with "Quality Of Service" and best of all connected directly to your Telco Provider.

2. An IP phone with a good firmware... Don't risk using a cheap phone. You'll get what you pay for.

3. A good VoIP provider... Most of the time the price of your calls have a bearing on their quality too. Anything costing 50% or less than what your standard PSTN phone service provider is good enough (believe me they still make a good profit).

4. No Wi-Fi... Don't use Wi-Fi for VoIP, you will lose quality most of the time.

Conclusion:

VoIP technology is still in the growth stage and developing everywhere because of price structure pressures and IP convergence advances. Just don't get the false sense of security that all VoIP providers are good, and don't think you will be able to place a call from anywhere.

If you want to introduce VoIP into your business, do your home work. Be sure to consider your intended application(s), appropriate configuration, and beware of being unduly impressed only by the price you might pay. Make your decision based on the best combination of meeting your application, configuration, and cost point requirements... as a total package.